A lucrative business is always in the PEOPLE business.

I have had the privilege to work in the "People Business"

     In 1986 I started as a bottle boy, yes a bottle boy at a little convenient store in Cincinnati. The place was surrounded what was at the time the largest subdivision in the state of Ohio--around 1,000 homes....
The owner had a gold mine, not because of location being right in the middle of both sides of the subdivision, but because of who he was....He was a people person; people came first to him and his business came second..This trend was taught to me at a very early age, give customers more than they want or need. Give them clean bathrooms, stocked store...But more important be staffed with employees that care and share his message of "People Matter."  I have never forgotten that point from the owner, which has carried on with me for over 30 years......
    The convenient store was over priced,  as they always are. However people shopped there because Earl, the owner made a habit of making all feel welcome....He knew just about every single person by first name, he sponsored little league teams, gave away free icees and ice cream on Halloween to the kids.
   If a customer was 25 cents short, he said no big deal. I had even seen him give customers a break if they forgot their wallet or purse. He knew they would be back and sure enough that night or the next day they would arrive to pay the bill.
   ALL customers were always given more than the wanted---the owner taught all the young teenagers the value of giving more to others all the time. A million dollar convenient store was lucrative and successful because the owners people skills were off the charts. This rolled over like I said to all the staff, which expressed those values to others at all time.....If the community lost power--the store would remain open and we would operate with flash lights.....If there was a foot of snow the owner would remain open to help all the parents who would walk up or even venture out in the 300 yard drive..
   Earl Mette was his name, he is gone now. But his legacy of people first has stayed with me since day one. My parents were regulars, my brother worked there as well. Life long friends were created there; all because the owner of this business understood the art and craft of how to give more to get more....People, customers spoke so highly of the owner it was as if he could have ran for Mayor, and he could have won by a land slide.
   People speak of customer service as a department, but it is a culture that is sought after by thousands of companies throughout the world.....When the store sold to a new owner it only took 7 years or so for that store to go under...Yes it closed its doors after being open for nearly 40 years. It closed because the new owner put profit before people--he lost the zest, the appeal of why the store made money. It is sad for so many positive memories were created there--but the owner did his job in training me and the hundreds of young men and women about giving more to people...
   The art of business is "People"---employees, cleaning crew, mail room, stock room, etc...... ALL make a business flourish.